Machinery for tapering the  ends of bars or rods for making coiled springs



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. O. FARNUM.

MACHINERY FOR TAPERING THE ENDS 0F BARS OE RODS FOR MAKING GOILED SPRINGS.

Patented May 5,1891.

H i E WITNESSES WILLIAM E. FAENUM,

BY gawznmprmzr.

UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE WILLIAM C. FARNUM, OF ARLING ON, VERMONT.

MACHINERY FOR TAPERING THE EN-DS OF BARS R RODS FOR MAKING CbILED SPRINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 451,636, dated May 5, 1891.

Application filed September 23, 1890. Serial No. 365,898. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it Hwy concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CARLTON FAR- NUM, mechanical engineer, of the town of Arlington,in the county of Bennington and State employed in tapering the ends of rods or bars for coiled springs and other purposes prior to the coiling orbending of the same, and the? taper thus imparted is for the purpose of leaving the ends or bearing-surfacesof the finished coils square with the axis of the coil.

The invention lies in special construction of the working-faces of the rolls, whereby it becomes feasible to set the axis of one of them askew with reference to the other one; in a clamp of special construction for handling the bar to be operated on and in means connected therewith for reversing same, so as to operate on both ends of the bar, and in special features in the construction and combination of the rolls for resisting their normal tendency to crowd away from each other when in action.

The drawings fully illustrate the invention, wherein In Figure 1 is shown an end elevation of the machine, showing the position of the rolls and a side view of the bar-clamp and its construction. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the machine as viewed from the right of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section of the frame and roll-shafts, taken through the bearings next to the gears on the back side of the machine. Fig. 4 is a plan view of the swinging pivot-frame 24 seen in Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a top or plan view of the bar-clamp detached from its bearings in the sheave block or trolley 20 of the sway-bar 21. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing peculiarities of construction of the shaping surfaces of the camshaped rolls which determine the extent and style of the taper given to the blank. Fig. 7is ahorizontal section taken through the axis of the lower roll.

The frame of the machine, as here shown,

consists of two syinmetricallyshaped halves A A, which are are united bybolts a a a, and mounted on suitable legs. Gaps in the frame are left at each end, in which the boxes B B and O O are seated. These boxes extend through the machine, as seen in Fig. 7, and are longitudinally confined by their flanges at each end. Between the two sets of bearings the distance-pieces V are placed one at each end of the machine. The proximity of the rolls to each other 'is regulated by the keys D, D, and D", which are fitted to inclined transverse grooves in the upper sides of the upper bearings O and B and in the under side of lower bearing 0, respectively. These keys are tightened by means of the flanged nuts d (1' cl, which move on the threaded stems d d d' of the keys, the flanges bearing against the sides of the frame on either side of the aperture through which the stems protrude. The approximation and separation of the shafts G and H are effected by the intermediate key D alone, the other two keys acting simply to tighten up the apparatus after such distance has been adjusted. The upper set of bearings C and B are made narrower than the gap in which they rest, so as to admit of the upper shaft being skewed around to one-side out of parallelism with the under shaft, for purposes hereinafter stated. To effect this the set-screw E, checknut e, and gib c are provided on one side of the machine, and the shim F on the other, so that the extent of the skew is determined by the number or thickness of such shims.

The two shafts are geared together by gears N and 0, Fig. 2, and the lower one carries on its rear end the gear Q, which meshes with and is driven by the driver P on shaft S, which also carries the driving-pulley P.

The rolls K and K are in all respects alike, being of the stepped form shown in the drawings, but when assembled in the machine the .faces are turned toward each other, which brings the spiral cam-edges in opposition to each other, as shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 1. The edges of the rolls J and J which produce the taper on the two sides of the bar, are of true spiral form from their starting to their finishing points or from the point 0 around to about the point h, following the direction of the arrow. Thence to the point g they are practically concentric, and from the latter point to the highest point 0 they are fiat. The peripheries of these spirals are conical in form, as shown in Fig. 6, the surfaces of the cones being coincident with the line 3 4. The sides of the flanges 7U- and 7e are finished at right angles to said spiral edges, so that they also form sections of cones. The interval between the finish and start of the bevel of the flange is cut or recessed away to afford freedom for the introduction between them of the unfinished end of the bar in process of reduction. These features of spiroconical construction, in connection with the skewing of the rolls, contribute to the per-, formance of special work in finishing the edges of the taper of the bar, which could not be effected with a square-faced cylindrical roll running in an ordinary square-bottomed groove. In using rolls like those illustrated with the skewed adjustment all the shaping or compressing faces converge on the side at which the bar enters, and as a result the conical side faces operate to compress the barlatera-11y to form its edges, and in doing so prevent the formation of fins or ragged corners or edges, while 011 the otherside they diverge or open out as they revolve, so that the reduced bar is not wedged, jammed, or held hetwecu any of the shaping surfaces, either sides or edges, a condition which does not obtain when the parallelism of the axes of the rolls is maintained. As a result of this construction and practice, no fins, ragged edges, or corners are left on the reduced shape; but the edges of the tapered part are left as smooth and regularly shaped as may be desired.

On the side of the frame behind the rolls a plate 36 is bolted, which carries the adjustable block X, to which are attached the two stop-gage plates cc These plates are bent at the ends toward the rolls, as shown, and an adjusting-bolt Y passes through them with a nut on the upper side of the top plate, by which the degree of separation of the ends of the plates may be regulated. Ordinarily they are set so as to admit the end of the bar after it has been slightly flattened and at each successive pass of the bar between the rolls, as will be explained later on, the same is forced back between the rolls and into the jaws of the gage until it wedges between the same, which operation is repeated until its end is stopped by striking the backstop X.

The provision for handling the rod or blank for the spring consists of the following devices: Bolted to the side of the frame is the bracket U, from which the trolley-track Z projects, the other end of which is supported by the hanger-rod 29 or by any other suitable means. The trolley which runs on this track consists of the sheave 19 and block 20. A red or pipe 21 connects block 20 with the pivoted head 23 of the vertically-swinging frame A by means of pin 27. The frame 21 is pivoted to a stand 25 by pin 26, and the stand is bolted to any permanent part of the building overhead. An arm 38, carrying a weight 22, is attached to the swing bar 21, the oflice of which is by its weight to force the trolley with the attached bar-clamp toward the rolls. The lower end of the block 20 is bored to receive the trunnion 9 of the clamp, and the same is held in position by the nut 35.

The bar-clamp consists of the bar or pipe (3, to which are attached the four stationary jaws 10 1O 1O 10, each of which consists of a hub, which is bored to slip on over the bar 6 and is pinned thereto. This jaw has two checks at 11, notched, as seen in Fig. 2, for the reception of the bar I, and perforated for the passage of the pipe or bar 7, which is adapted to roll or turn in such perforations. The two jaws 10 10 at the ends of bar 7 are each fitted with a stud on which the guide-sheaves 5 5 turn. These sheaves are fitted to run on the V-shaped ways a It of the bracket U, as seen in Fig. 1. The stock 8, which carries the trunnion 9, is bolted to the two intermediate jaws 1O 10, as shown, and has the handlebar 11 attached to it. The bar 7 is fitted to pass through and turn in the holes in cheeks a n, and between each pair of such cheeks has a j aw-piece fitted and fastened to it which works in opposition to jaws '1' r of jaw-piece 10 when the bar 7 is turned forward, as seen in Fig. 2. The bar 7 is rotated by means of lever 14, which is connected with hub 13, attached to the bar. This lever has a, handle and a detent 16, which plays on the ratchet edge 17 of the upturned end of lever 11. To hold a bar, it is laid in the jaws and the two handles or levers 12 and 15 are then pulled together, or rather the handle 15 is pulled up until the detent catches in the last possible notch of the ratchet 1 7, where it stands locked. To facilitate the easy working of these levers, one of them may be made slightly elastic, so that it can spring a little as the pinch is put \Vhcn the clamp and trolley are in adjustment, the clamp may be turned on its trunnion completely around or end for end. This is for the purpose of tapering both ends of the spring-blank without detaching it from the clamp or rcadjusting it after it has once been inserted.

When the clamp is idle, it can be drawn back and tilted a little, so that one of the sheaves can rest in one or the other of the socket-rests XV or \V. The gage T, having elongated slot-and-bolt adjustment, is fastened to the top of the frame and is used in relation to the sockets \V and \V to aid in adjusting the blank bar centrally in the clamp.

In this machine the rolls are mounted on their shafts, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7. The upper roll is keyed onto the upper shaft and on the lower shaft the flanged sleeve lis tightly fitted. Over this sleeve the lower roll is fitted and keyed, so that its cone-face K willbear against the side of the concd spiral between the rolls.

J of the upper roll. The hollow hub of the lower roll projects a little beyond the end of the sleeve L, and a washer N is fitted over the threaded end of the shaft and bears against the end of the hub of the flanged sleeve L. The nut M, which is screwed onto the end of shaft H, serves to thrust the hub of the roll against flange L, and this against the shoulder on the shaft II at its back, against which it finds abutment. The flange K of the upper roll coming between the flange L and the side of the spiral roll J of the lower roll cannot move axially, but is thereby held to its work. This system of construction permits both rolls to be taken off their shafts by simply removing the nut M. The roll may then be dressed over and replaced at small cost, and by tightening up the nut M they can be brought up to their work without delay. In common practice, where a tongue on one roll runs in a groove of another and repairs of both become necessary, a new member must be supplied to take the place of the male member, as the old one will not fill the gap thus newly fitted. These advantages result from thetwo rolls being detachable and being dressed alike so far as their working-faces are concerned.

In operating the machine the clamp is tilted so that the sheave 5 next to the rolls rests in one of the sheave-sockets W or W. The bar is then inserted between the clamping-jaws with one end in contact with the gage T,which is set so that when the bar is so inserted and clamped it will be centrally located in the clamp. The clamp is then closed and looked, after which the sheave next the machine is entered in the gap between the ways a u, and when in process of revolution of the rolls the open gap between the fiat parts of the spiral faces presents itself the operator thrusts the blank forward through such gap until its end strikes the ends of the jaw-gages 00 0c. The rolls in completing this revolution catch the bar and drive it back toward the operator, and in so doing reduce the thickness of the end until it will enter between the open ends of the gage-plates a: ma limited distance. The rolls continue to revolve until the gap between the spirals again appears, when the operator thrusts the blank forward, aided by weight 22, this time entering the flattened point between the jaw-plates w or as far as it will go, when the bar is again caught by the rolls and still further flattened as it is forced back. The operation is repeated until the point of the tapered blank as it is entered between the jaws 00 as will strike the block X, when it is driven back for the last time. On some kinds of work the necessary taper may be obtained by a single passage of the bar In such cases the jawplates 00 0c are removed and only the stopblock X is used. Having completed the taper of one end of the bar, the operator, manipulating the clamp by means of the handles 12 and 15, turns the same on its axis end for end, and, entering the sheave in the gap between ways a u, submits the other end of the blank to the same treatment. 011 the completion of the tapering process the clamp is drawn back, detent of lever let is released, and the bar drops out of the clamp and is then removed.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The described improvements in machines for rolling blanks, which consist of a pair of rolls of stepped form arranged in combination with their faces opposed to each other, each having two conical rolling or shaping faces for forming one side and one edge of the blank, in combination, substantially as shown, and for the purposes specified.

2. A pair of rolls in combination, as shown, each having a shaping-face corresponding to the surface of a frust um of a cone of which a cross-section has a spiral or other shaped contour, for forming the two opposite sides of a blank, and a lateral retaining coned flange for forming the two opposite edges of the blank, substantially as specified.

3. The combination of two rolls, each having a frustum-shaped rolling-face of spiral or other irregular form flanked by a cone-flange, for shaping the edges of the blank, both of said rolls being confined on their axes, so as to avoid lateral displacement, and means, substantially as shown, connected with one of said rolls for setting its axis askew with that of the other, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of the two rolls, each having the described spiral and conical shaped faces, with the shafts G and H, flanged sleeve L, and nut M, substantially as described, and for the purpose specified.

5. The combination of the two rolls, each having the described conical and spiral faces, with the shafts G and H, flanged sleeve L, nut M, and means, as shown, for setting the axis of one roll askew with the other, substantially as described, and for the purpose set forth.

6. The combination of the two rolls, each having the described conical an d spiral shaping-faces, the axis of one of said rolls being set askew with that of the other, in the manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

7. The combination, with the described tapering-rolls, of the clamping-frame for supporting the bar, supported and adapted to be advanced toward and withdrawn from the rolls by means substantially as described and set forth.

8. The combination, with the described tapering-rolls, of the clamping-frame for supporting the bar, adapted, by means substantially as shown, to be advanced toward and withdrawn from the rolls, and adapted, by means substantially as shown, to be reversed end for end, substantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

9. The described clamping-frame, having jaws for clamping the bar, adapted to rotate IIO on a trunnion eentrallyplaced and journaled in a bearing adapted to be advanced toward and withdrawn from the tapering-rolls, sub

stantially as described, and for the purposes specified.

10. The gage T, sheave-sockets \V, and the bar-clamp, combined and arranged to operate substantially in the manner described, and for the purpose set forth.

11. A pair of rolls, each having a rollingface flanked on one side by a resistingiiange, combined so that the rolling-faces shall be opposed edge to edge, in combination with provisions for resisting relative displacement, substantially as specified.

12. The combination, with the housingframe, of the two roll-shatts, the bearings in which they revolve, having transverse seats for adj listing-wedges, and the adjusting and tightening wedges operating in said wedgcseats, substantially as described, and for the purposes set forth.

WILLIAM. (J. 'FARNUM.

In presence of EERT HATHAXVAY, FRANKLIN Score 

